Do you know the real cost of heroin?
The annual estimated cost of heroin addiction in the U.S. is ~ $21.9 BILLION. But have you ever wondered how much heroin can cost you personally per year?
In this infographic we explore the individual financial burden of abusing heroin, as well as the costs heroin use tolls on our society. Then, we invite you to share any questions that you have at the end. Please post your questions or feedback in the comments section at the bottom of the page, and we’ll try to reply personally and promptly to all legitimate inquiries.
Heroin cost on the U.S. economy
There are many direct and indirect costs that add up to $21.9 billion. Most of the money caused by heroin use is lost due can be broken down into the following categories:
- criminal justice and law enforcement costs
- workplace productivity costs
- healthcare expenses
- social welfare
Of these costs, 46% are covered by the government, 3% are covered by private health insurance providers, while the rest of the costs fall on state taxpayers and institutions. All in all, the heroin problem in the United States is still a big issue.
The personal cost of heroin use
In order to estimate your personal expenses for purchasing heroin, we need to do some simple math.
A heroin’s addict daily habits costs about $150 on average; some may use less and some may even spend more obtaining the drug. If you spend $150 daily on heroin, that will end up costing you more than $54K in one year’s time. So how many people are really caught up in the daily expense of using?
U.S. monthly use of heroin
If you are wondering how much money is spent a month in general on buying and using heroin, statistics report that 669,000 U.S. citizens reported heroin use in the past year, for 2012 (most recent data available). If all those people had a $150 per day habit, there are:
- more than $3B spent on heroin each MONTH
- more than $36B spent on heroin YEAR
Moreover, heroin can cost you a lot more than just money. You may lose:
- your health
- job and career
- financial stability
- family and friends
- freedom due to incarceration
- your life due to unintentional overdose
Cost of heroin questions
Do you or someone close to you use heroin? You can seek professional help and heroin addiction treatment. If you have any questions, please post them the in the designated section below. We try to respond personally and promptly to all legitimate inquiries, or refer you to someone who can help.
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